Dwell in Possibility

Dream Cast: American Royals

2021-02-08T10:47:00.003-05:00

Princess Beatrice Washington: Lily Collins

Princess Samantha Washington: Katherine Langford

Prince Jefferson Washington: Logan Lerman

Daphne Deighton: Chloe Grace Moretz

Nina Gonzalez: Sofia Carson

What do you guys think?

Book Spotlight: The Wild Unknown Journal

2018-09-30T11:54:00.000-04:00

Author: Kim Krans

Publication Date: September 4, 2018

Publisher: HarperOne

· Written and Illustrated by Kim Krans

· Illustrated, Hand-lettered Interactive Introduction

· 99 Full-color Illustrated prompts

Embark on an odyssey of reflection, self-discovery, and creative inspiration with The Wild Unknown Journal, a beautifully illustrated and hand-lettered guided journal from Kim Krans, the visionary artist and author behind the bestselling The Wild Unknown Tarot and The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit.

Welcome to The Wild Unknown Journal. The labyrinth of creativity awaits you ….

Your journey begins with a dynamic, interactive introduction that invites you into this contemplative space and explains how to use the journal and all the possibilities it offers. More than 125 exquisite pages of powerful prompts follow—combined with emotionally evocative watercolor imagery and elegant black-and-white line art—igniting an intimate and transformative experience for writers, artists, daydreamers, or anyone seeking creative magic.

Liberating and meditative, this stunning journal offers us a deeper connection to our present moment and inner most selves—freeing us to write, draw, color, collage, and create. Tap into the untamed power of the wild unknown as you discover how to unleash the imaginative, the intuitive, and the inspired within.

I just had to share this new, creative journal that hit the market earlier this month. I wanted to spotlight this on my channel because I think so many of us could benefit from having a journaling outlet like this one. This book is welcoming, encouraging, and a perfect place for both creative and non-artistic people to learn to deal and let go of the stresses of everyday life. The pages are open for each person’s individual interpretation, as shown below, and the pages are so unique and engaging – a person could spend hours unwinding and de-stressing on the pages.

Please enjoy a few images of the various pages below:

I have started exploring and illustrating some of the pages in the journal that I was so kindly sent. I have experimented with watercolors, white gel pens, tom bow markers, and the list goes on and on. There is no limit to what you can accomplish on these pages. I am looking forward to spending more time in my journal and I hope, if any of this sounds interesting to you, you will consider picking up a copy for yourself!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at HarperOne in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: Three Little Lies

2018-09-28T20:58:00.000-04:00

Author: Laura Marshall

Publication Date: September 4, 2018

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

When Sasha disappears, Ellen fears the worst. Then long-buried secrets resurface, Ellen realizes she may not know Sasha -- or what she's capable of -- at all.

2005: 17 year old Ellen falls under the spell of glamorous newcomer, Sasha. As Ellen is welcomed into Sasha's family, she doesn't see the darkness that lies beneath their musical, bohemian lifestyle. At a New Year's Eve party, events come to a dramatic head, resulting in a court case (in which Ellen is a key witness) that means family life at the Corner House will never be the same again.

2018: Now 30, Ellen and Sasha are still entwined in each other's lives and sharing a flat in London. When Sasha disappears, Ellen fears the worst. She has gone missing like this before and the police won't take it seriously, but long-buried events in their shared past mean that Ellen has good reason to be frightened - not only for Sasha, but also for herself. Finding out the truth about what really happened on New Year's Eve twelve years ago puts Ellen in terrible danger, and forces her to confront not only the past, but how well she really knows her best friend.

Since I loved Laura Marshall’s debut novel, Friend Request, I knew that her newest novel would be added immediately to my to be read list. The characters in this new novel were very similar to the ones in Friend Request. I like to be surprised, I like to follow multiple point of views, and I like when characters share a strong bond, several secrets, and then one of them goes missing. Not only does this book have alternating timelines, but the characters and their backstories are intriguing and not always subtle. Ellen and Sasha are different, yet they bonded over shared pasts, problems, and peril.

Laura Marshall’s writing is intense – this is the best word that I can think of to describe it. My favorite part of Marshall’s writing is her ability to write flashbacks that add to the story and do not confuse the reader. Her style is very identifiable – I would know her writing anywhere. To me, this is a good thing! Authors should all carry their own notable writing style that sets them apart from all others!

I never in a million years imagined I would be here, in this unknown landscape where none of my friends can, or would want to, follow me. I would swap places with any of them in a heartbeat.

My hands touch the bench tighter and tighter. One of the screws that holds the seat to my legs is coming loose and the sharp edge of it digs into my palm, but I welcome the pain, increasing the pressure until I feel the wetness of blood, because it dulls the voice in my head: the one that tells me that Karina is speaking the truth, and even worse, that this is all my fault.

Or is there someone else in the house?

She stepped forward to pour some wine into the empty mug in my hand, and as she did so, I caught the tail end of a secret little smile that wasn’t meant for me.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Grand Central Publishing in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: #FashionVictim

2018-09-17T16:44:00.001-04:00

Author: Amina Akhtar

Publication Date: September 11, 2018

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

A thrilling take on the fashion world, #FashionVictim is Dexter meets The Devil Wears Prada.

Fashion editor Anya St. Clair is on the verge of greatness. Her wardrobe is to die for. Her social media is killer. And her career path is littered with the bodies of anyone who got in her way. She’s worked hard to get where she is, but she doesn’t have everything.

Not like Sarah Taft. Anya’s obsession sits one desk away. Beautiful, stylish, and rich, she was born to be a fashion world icon. From her beach-wave blonde hair to her on-trend nail art, she’s a walking editorial spread. And Anya wants to be her friend. Her best friend. Her only friend.

But when Sarah becomes her top competition for a promotion, Anya’s plan to win her friendship goes into overdrive. In order to beat Sarah…she’ll have to become her. Friendly competition may turn fatal, but as they say in fashion: One day you’re in, and the next day you’re dead.

This book promises to be part Devil Wears Prada and part American Psychos/Heathers, so you can bet that I was expecting this book to deliver – and it definitely did! The writing is entertaining and fast-paced, the unreliable narrator will keep readers on edge, and the glamour of life working on a fashion magazine will have readers dreaming of a life far beyond the stretches of their own. Anya, our main character, is such an enigma. Readers learn quickly that her life is no walk in the park. She is obsessed with her co-worker and readers are left to wonder why she behaves the way she does. Murder is happening everywhere, guys!! This book will take you no time at all to finish and will leave you wondering what Amina Akhtar will write next.

Smiling makes people like you.

I wiped down the sink, resisting the urge to kick her before I left. Her blood was seeping out of her eye. I’ve always enjoyed the color of blood, but oddly, I can’t watch bloody shows on TV. Weird, right?

Tomorrow would be a new day. I didn’t ask what horror it would bring. But I knew something bad was going to happen. I said a prayer to the fashion gods and went to sleep.

I mean the tagline of this book is “Bitches gets stitches.” What more do you need me to say? Do I think this book is going to win a whole bunch of rewards? No. But am I glad that I spent one long afternoon reading and following along with this crazy, tumultuous, fashion idolized world? Heck yes! This is the perfect afternoon read and would be perfect for someone who is trying to get over a book hangover; I guarantee it will do the trick.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Crooked Lane Books in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: WorkParty

2018-09-13T19:17:00.000-04:00

Author: Jaclyn Johnson

Publication Date: August 21, 2018

Publisher: Gallery Books

First, we leaned in. Now we stand up.

Jaclyn Johnson—the founder and CEO behind Create & Cultivate, the fastest growing online platform and conference for millennial women in business— offers a rallying cry for a new generation of women who are redefining the meaning of work on their own terms: WorkParty. Women who want it all and more, and guess what? They can have it.

Jaclyn suffered a massive blow in her early twenties. She was on an upward career climb and confidently moved across the country for a job—and then, was abruptly let go. Attempting to turn that closed door into an open window, she launched a company with a trusted business partner. Soon after, she discovered said business partner had made detrimental decisions to the company without her knowledge. Before she knew it, she was in the throes of a brutal business partner break up. She was only twenty-four.

Determined to bounce back, Jaclyn overhauled the mess that was her life and by the time she was in her early thirties, she had sold a company and launched the much-buzzed about Create & Cultivate platform—and advised and invested in multiple million-dollar projects at the same time. So, how did she do it?

In WorkParty, Jaclyn shows how she turned distrust into determination, frustration into fuel, and heartache into hard work—and how you can, too.

With stories from leading female entrepreneurs including Christene Barberich (co-founder of Refinery29), Alli Webb, (creator of Drybar), Morgan Debaun (founder of Blavity), Jen Gotch of Ban.do, Rebecca Minkoff, and Kendra Scott, you will learn the tips and tricks from the best in the business while cultivating the passion and happiness you need to succeed. By embracing failure and reconciling your femininity with being a boss, you’ll join the movement that is WorkParty—and have fun along the way.

Jaclyn Johnson’s WorkPartywas such a thrill to read. For any women that want to learn how to balance their career with their social life, or how to deal with failure in the workplace, or even how to negotiate better pay – this will be a perfect read for you. This book is filled with tons of interesting illustrations that coordinate with Johnson’s commentary on women in the workplace. There are also tons of “pause” sections throughout the book, where Johnson takes a moment to pose thought-provoking discussion questions or share interesting, relevant facts and encouraging thoughts. Her writing is so simplistic, yet really causes you to pause and think about your position and career. A five out of five stars from me!

Hard work = the American Dream.

Look, truthfully, I love working hard. I had always identified as the girl who is crushing it career-wise, never the girl for whom it came easy – that’s for damn sure. In fact, I remember a male colleague once telling me, “You’re pretty, but not so pretty that other women will hate you.” I made a confused face, and he followed up with, “No, no, that’s a compliment and will get you far! You’re not a threat!” Ugh, great! But now what? I – the striver, the try-hard, the career-woman – was in a city where I knew no one, had left behind connections, friends, and a promising career path to come kill it on the West Coast and then got laid off? Self. Identity. Screwed.

The support from these women gave way to my biggest lightbulb idea and a business that would shape the next big chapter of my life. The idea that collaboration with women is stronger than competition with them is the nugget of gold that launched Create & Cultivate.

Work hard, stay in the game, and trust that you’re laying the foundation for your own future luck.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Gallery Books in exchange for my honest review***

Book Spotlight: Dream Design Live

2018-09-09T13:51:00.000-04:00

Author: Paloma Contreras

Publication Date: September 4, 2018

Publisher: Abrams

In Dream Design Live, decorator Paloma Contreras goes beyond interior design to show readers how to inhabit their homes in fulfilling and beautiful ways. Divided into three sections, this hardworking book proves that the most appealing interiors are also the most personal ones. Contreras takes readers through the design process and encourages them to seek inspiration from the approach that works best for them. From thinking creatively to improve both your home and your life, to showing you how to turn your dreams into realities, the author reveals how you can take the welcoming space you’ve just created and spend meaningful time there pursuing the activities you love. With stunning photography and accessible-yet-elegant tips, Dream Design Live fuses interior decorating advice with lifestyle recommendations and demonstrates how living a happy and satisfying life starts at home.

Paloma Contreras shares her love of foreign cultures and her inspiration of traveling as the starting point for her career in interior design. This beautiful book is broken into 3 different parts: Dream, Design, and Live. Contreras takes readers on the journey of design and causes readers to ask themselves about their signature style. The images are colorful, vibrant, and completely replicable. Almost all images are accompanied by tips and tricks that will make decorating as easy as flipping the pages of this illustrious book! I am so happy to be able to share this with you all on my blog. Check out some images from the book below.

It was my first trip to Europe. Italy enchanted me – the architecture, the language, the food, the history, the art, the people – and I felt excited and energized. I wanted to hang on to that feeling for as long as possible. It was time to design the life that I wanted to live – the life that felt true to who I am at my core.

During my time in the design industry, I’ve come to realize that la dolce vita starts at home because that’s where we are our truest selves. Our homes can help us live the lives we want and can be tools for living. They can provide an environment where we can retreat from the rest of the world and set the stage for the type of life we want to live.

Every design project begins with inspiration. When starting a new project, my jumping off point can be anything from a beautiful fabric to the colors in a piece of art to the vibe of a favorite clothing store. Inspiration is literally everywhere; it surrounds us at every hour of every day, and it has the potential to be both amazing and completely overwhelming.

Check out the beautiful images in this book!

Contreras provides these style guides throughout the entire book.

She includes snippets from her actual designs!

The images are bright, cheery, and offer a look into a cozy, inspired life!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Abrams in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: The Air You Breathe

2018-09-06T16:11:00.000-04:00

Author: Frances De Pontes Peebles

Publication Date: August 21, 2018

Publisher: Riverhead Books

"Echoes of Elena Ferrante resound in this sumptuous saga."--O, The Oprah Magazine

"Enveloping...Peebles understands the shifting currents of female friendship, and she writes so vividly about samba that you close the book certain its heroine's voices must exist beyond the page." -People

The story of an intense female friendship fueled by affection, envy and pride--and each woman's fear that she would be nothing without the other.

Some friendships, like romance, have the feeling of fate.

Skinny, nine-year-old orphaned Dores is working in the kitchen of a sugar plantation in 1930s Brazil when in walks a girl who changes everything. Graça, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy sugar baron, is clever, well fed, pretty, and thrillingly ill behaved. Born to wildly different worlds, Dores and Graça quickly bond over shared mischief, and then, on a deeper level, over music.

One has a voice like a songbird; the other feels melodies in her soul and composes lyrics to match. Music will become their shared passion, the source of their partnership and their rivalry, and for each, the only way out of the life to which each was born. But only one of the two is destined to be a star. Their intimate, volatile bond will determine each of their fortunes--and haunt their memories.

Traveling from Brazil's inland sugar plantations to the rowdy streets of Rio de Janeiro's famous Lapa neighborhood, from Los Angeles during the Golden Age of Hollywood back to the irresistible drumbeat of home, The Air You Breathe unfurls a moving portrait of a lifelong friendship--its unparalleled rewards and lasting losses--and considers what we owe to the relationships that shape our lives.

One of my favorite genres to read is historical fiction; I often say that I was meant for another time and place. This book took me to 1930’s Brazil on a sugar plantation where our main character, Dores, grew up. The Air You Breatheexplores the fractious relationship between Graça, a Brazilian samba singer, and her childhood friend Dores. The culture of Brazil and the bountiful theme of female friendship were my absolute favorite parts about the writing of this novel. These women suffer jealously, love, and loss together. This was such a refreshing take on what, just ten years ago, would have been just another “love story”. I am so glad that authors are moving from the cliché romance stories of days past and are focusing on the theme of female friendships in all their fierceness and glory. Don’t get me wrong, this is not about a perfect relationship. Like all friendships, these women have their downfalls, but reading and following them as they navigate life together is the most beautiful part of the journey that is this novel.

But life isn’t as orderly as a story or a song; it does not always begin and end at compelling points.

I survived my own birth, a true feat in 1920 if you were born to a dirt-poor mother living on a sugar plantation. The midwife who delivered me told everyone how surprised she was that such a hearty girl could’ve come from my mother’s tired womb. I was her fifth and final child. Most women who worked on the plantation had ten or twelve or even eighteen children, so my mother’s womb was fresher and younger than most. But she was not married and never had been. All of my long-lost brothers and myself – I was the only girl in our lot – had different fathers. This made my mother worse than a puta in my people’s minds, because at least a puta had the sense to charge for her services.

Beyond that kitchen and those cane fields was world of possibilities that I couldn’t fathom, but wanted to. I was awed by the avarice of that cane fire. It was beautiful in its constant need, in its unbridled hunger. I watched it burn, its heat pounding against my skin, and knew that we were alike, that fire and me. We wanted more than we’d been given, and we always would.

Some reviews might say this story is slow, and to some readers, there might be parts that seem slower than others. However, I am an avid lover of historical fiction. If you, too, like me, love a great historical fiction novel, then you are sure to love this gem. It is rich and fabulous in its unraveling; I will be sure to pick up more by Frances De Pontes Peebles.

***I was provided a free copy of this book by Riverhead Books in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: Tailspin

2018-09-03T10:53:00.000-04:00

Author: Sandra Brown

Publication Date: August 7, 2018

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Don't miss the spine tingling suspense and tantalizing romance in this thriller about a daring pilot caught in a race against time from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown.

Rye Mallett, a fearless "freight dog" pilot charged with flying cargo to far-flung locations, is often rough-spoken and all business, but soft on regulations when they get in the way of meeting a deadline. But he does have a rock-solid reputation: he will fly in the foulest weather, day or night, and deliver the goods safely to their destination. So when Rye is asked to fly into a completely fogbound northern Georgia town and deliver a mysterious black box to a Dr. Lambert, he doesn't ask questions.

As Rye's plane nears the isolated landing strip, more trouble than inclement weather awaits him. He is greeted first by a sabotage attempt on his plane that causes him to crash land, and then by Dr. Brynn O'Neal, who claims she was sent for the box in Dr. Lambert's stead. Despite Rye's "no-involvement" policy when it comes to other people's problems, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to the intrigue surrounding his cargo . . . and to the mysterious and alluring Brynn.

Soon Rye and Brynn are in a treacherous forty-eight-hour race to deliver the box before time runs out. With everyone from law enforcement officials to hired thugs hot on their heels, they must learn to trust each other so they can protect their valuable cargo from those who would kill for it.

I fell in love with Sandra Brown’s writing many years ago. She has the ability to write both excellent characters and a gripping plot line. I was thrilled to be able to read her newest book, Tailspin, and I must say that it did not disappoint. Brown drops readers right into the action by opening up with a storm and a pilot who likes a challenge. Our main characters, Rye and Brynn, both have interesting back stories and the twists that happen to both of them throughout the entire novel.

This type of action-packed novel is not usually my “go-to” novel, but this thriller involving a dying girl, a crooked senator, thugs, ambitious wife and doctor, this novel runs the spectrum of human emotion, tenacity, and love was just what I needed. I completed the 400 plus pages in no time at all. I wish Sandra Brown were putting out novels as quickly as she used to, but in the mean time I will revel in her latest release, as you should too!

“Dr. Lambert? I expected a man.” “Well, surprise.” Then she kneed him in the balls.

Timmy giggled. “ ‘Wait and see’ means I might get to kill somebody after all.”

Brynn had survived her childhood, which in itself was a miracle. Even more miraculous was that she hadn’t been too badly scarred by it. While other people encountered stumbling blocks in the course of their lives, her impediments had been comparable to mountain ranges.

If you love witty characters and revel in character interactions, then this novel will be one you will adore. It was fast-paced, if a bit predictable, and left me wanting and wishing for more from Sandra Brown. You will not want to put this book down!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Grand Central Publishing in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: The Mystery of Three Quarters

2018-08-30T20:12:00.000-04:00

Author: Sophie Hannah

Publication Date: August 28, 2018

Publisher: William Morrow

The world’s most beloved detective, Hercule Poirot—the legendary star of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and most recently The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket—returns in a stylish, diabolically clever mystery set in the London of 1930.

“We Agatha Christie fans read her stories--and particularly her Poirot novels--because the mysteries are invariably equal parts charming and ingenious, dark and quirky and utterly engaging. Sophie Hannah had a massive challenge in reviving the beloved Poirot, and she met it with heart and no small amount of little grey cells. I was thrilled to see the Belgian detective in such very, very good hands. Reading The Monogram Murders was like returning to a favorite room of a long-lost home.”

— Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl

Hercule Poirot returns home after an agreeable luncheon to find an angry woman waiting to berate him outside his front door. Her name is Sylvia Rule, and she demands to know why Poirot has accused her of the murder of Barnabas Pandy, a man she has neither heard of nor ever met. She is furious to be so accused, and deeply shocked. Poirot is equally shocked, because he too has never heard of any Barnabas Pandy, and he certainly did not send the letter in question. He cannot convince Sylvia Rule of his innocence, however, and she marches away in a rage.

Shaken, Poirot goes inside, only to find that he has a visitor waiting for him — a man called John McCrodden who also claims also to have received a letter from Poirot that morning, accusing him of the murder of Barnabas Pandy...

Poirot wonders how many more letters of this sort have been sent in his name. Who sent them, and why? More importantly, who is Barnabas Pandy, is he dead, and, if so, was he murdered? And can Poirot find out the answers without putting more lives in danger?

I must admit that I have never read an Agatha Christie novel, so I have nothing to compare this one too. However, I must say that I really loved and adored this novel. I found it to be very atmospheric and I found myself completely submersed in the mystery. Some parts seemed slow because of the rich descriptions and all the background information that the author had to provide, but the mystery was well laid out and Sophie Hannah’s puzzles were intriguing as they unraveled.

“It is not a pleasant thing, to be accused of something one has not done. One ought to be able to brush the untruths aside, but somehow they take hold of the mind and cause a spectral form of guilt—like a ghost in the head, or in the conscience! Someone is certain that you have done this terrible thing, and so you start to feel as if you have, even though you know you have not. I begin to understand, Georges, why people confess to crimes of which they are innocent.”

“Most certainly, there is more, and I shall find out what it is. Not one unsavory morsel will escape from Hercule Poirot!”

“You might be cleverer than I am,” I said, though the person I was addressing had no chance of hearing me, “but I wouldn’t assume you’re cleverer than Hercule Poirot.”

I am very intrigued to read the other two books by Sophie Hannah, additions to the Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christie. Sophie Hannah has done her research well when it comes to our detective, Hercule Poirot. Many critics have negative things to say about Hannah’s writing of Poirot, but I believe she has done an outstanding job in the continuation of this series.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at William Morrow in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: Ghosted

2018-08-26T17:07:00.000-04:00

Author: Rosie Walsh

Publication Date: July 24, 2018

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Seven perfect days. Then he disappeared. A love story with a secret at its heart.

When Sarah meets Eddie, they connect instantly and fall in love. To Sarah, it seems as though her life has finally begun. And it's mutual: It's as though Eddie has been waiting for her, too. Sarah has never been so certain of anything. So when Eddie leaves for a long-booked vacation and promises to call from the airport, she has no cause to doubt him. But he doesn't call.

Sarah's friends tell her to forget about him, but she can't. She knows something's happened--there must be an explanation.

Minutes, days, weeks go by as Sarah becomes increasingly worried. But then she discovers she's right. There is a reason for Eddie's disappearance, and it's the one thing they didn't share with each other: the truth.

Sarah and Eddie fall in love over the course of seven short days. Eddie has to leave on an already scheduled vacation after those seven days, promising he will call Sarah and see her when he returns. Sarah relishes in the idea of what their relationship will be and thinks she has found “The One”, until he doesn’t call or return her messages. It is like he has vanished completely.

I thought that this story was a completely new twist on an original love story. I LOVED the story and how the author, Rosie Walsh, manages to give us a taste of mystery alongside a sweeping romance story. The twists and turns just kept coming and I loved being surprised over and over again. I thought at some point that I would figure out where the author was taking the story, but I never could get my predictions spot on. This was such a refreshing change in plot!

I craved control over this uncontrollable situation.

Seven days later Eddie and I had said good-bye. But it was a French good-bye: an au revior. An until the next time! It was not a farewell. It was not even remotely a farewell. When did “farewell” involve the words “I think I’ve fallen in love with you?”

I loved this about him. He seemed always to say what he was thinking; nothing was edited. Which was a novel experience for me, because everyone edited everything when I came back to England.

Eventually we found ourselves in the leaves without any clothes on. I had mulch in my hair, probably insects. But I felt only joy. Deep, radial branches of joy.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Pamela Dorman Books in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: Sweet Little Lies

2018-08-22T13:32:00.000-04:00

Author: Caz Frear

Publication Date: August 14, 2018

Publisher: Harper

In this gripping debut procedural, a young London policewoman must probe dark secrets buried deep in her own family’s past to solve a murder and a long-ago disappearance.

Your father is a liar. But is he a killer?

Even liars tell the truth . . . sometimes.

Twenty-six-year-old Cat Kinsella overcame a troubled childhood to become a Detective Constable with the Metropolitan Police Force, but she’s never been able to banish these ghosts. When she’s called to the scene of a murder in Islington, not far from the pub her estranged father still runs, she discovers that Alice Lapaine, a young housewife who didn’t get out much, has been found strangled.

Cat and her team immediately suspect Alice’s husband, until she receives a mysterious phone call that links the victim to Maryanne Doyle, a teenage girl who went missing in Ireland eighteen years earlier. The call raises uneasy memories for Cat—her family met Maryanne while on holiday, right before she vanished. Though she was only a child, Cat knew that her charming but dissolute father wasn’t telling the truth when he denied knowing anything about Maryanne or her disappearance. Did her father do something to the teenage girl all those years ago? Could he have harmed Alice now? And how can you trust a liar even if he might be telling the truth?

Determined to close the two cases, Cat rushes headlong into the investigation, crossing ethical lines and trampling professional codes. But in looking into the past, she might not like what she finds. . . .

Cat Kinsella is one of the best leading protagonists that I have read this year. She is snarky, extremely witty, flawed (and knows it), and deals with her problems openly and honestly. What more could you ask for? I would not have wanted anyone else to tell me this story. Cat works for the London Metropolitan Police and is running from her past and her family, who she feels is concealing some murderous secrets.

The story starts off by providing some background details about Cat and her family’s previous life. Not long after the first chapter or so, Cat is brought in on a new murder case and it quickly becomes personal for her. She is such a strong female lead – a police detective is the perfect job for her. We learn bits and pieces about Cat as the story progresses – I felt that she, her family, and the victim were fully fleshed out characters.

The writing in this novel was so spot on – I constantly felt as if I were inside a police station. I learned so much lingo and technical terms; it was great! Frear, the author, must have put in a lot of time learning police procedures, interactions with suspects, etc. With that being said, this author is from England, so some of the slang used was hard for me to follow at first, but I got used to it and caught on very quickly.

The story goes back and forth between past and present – all narrated by Cat. Cat faces a lot of personal and professional conflict, both are written superbly and realistically. My only complaint with this novel is that at times the writing seemed to dredge on and the plot was slow developing. However, once the suspense showed up, everything went into full swing!

Problem is, while the lie may be sweet as it falls from your lips, the feeling in your gut is always putridly sour.

You had a sixty-five percent chance of fathering a child with your wife. There’s a sixty-three percent chance that you killer her.

The most devastating punishments aren’t always the legal ones.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Harper in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: Rush

2018-08-18T10:07:00.000-04:00

Author: Lisa Patton

Publication Date: August 21, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Set in modern day Oxford, Mississippi, on the Ole Miss campus, bestselling author Lisa Patton’s RUSH is a story about women―from both ends of the social ladder―discovering their voices and their empowerment.

Cali Watkins possesses all the qualities sororities are looking for in a potential new member. She’s kind and intelligent, makes friends easily, even plans to someday run for governor. But her resume lacks a vital ingredient. Pedigree. Without family money Cali's chances of sorority membership are already thin, but she has an even bigger problem. If anyone discovers the dark family secrets she's hiding, she’ll be dropped from Rush in an instant.

When Lilith Whitmore, the well-heeled House Corp President of Alpha Delta Beta, one of the premiere sororities on campus, appoints recent empty-nester Wilda to the Rush Advisory Board, Wilda can hardly believe her luck. What’s more, Lilith suggests their daughters, both incoming freshman, room together. What Wilda doesn’t know is that it's all part of Lilith’s plan to ensure her own daughter receives an Alpha Delt bid―no matter what.

For twenty-five years, Miss Pearl―as her “babies” like to call her―has been housekeeper and a second mother to the Alpha Delt girls, even though it reminds her of a painful part of her past she’ll never forget. When an opportunity for promotion arises, it seems a natural fit. But Lilith Whitmore slams her Prada heel down fast, crushing Miss Pearl’s hopes of a better future. When Wilda and the girls find out, they devise a plan destined to change Alpha Delta Beta―and maybe the entire Greek system―forever.

Achingly poignant, yet laugh-out-loud funny, RUSH takes a sharp nuanced look at a centuries-old tradition while exploring the complex, intimate relationships between mothers and daughters and female friends. Brimming with heart and hope for a better tomorrow, RUSH is an uplifting novel universal to us all.

This latest novel by Lisa Patton is told in alternating viewpoints from the perspective of three different women. A young girl, hoping to be a new pledge for a sorority on campus, named Cali. A mother, who wants to ensure her daughter has a good chance at being an Alpha Delt pledge, named Wilda. And finally, Miss Pearl, the housekeeper for the Alpha Delt house who treats all the sorority sisters like her own “babies”.

Miss Pearl, being a woman of color, gets the lower end of the stick and is mistreated by some pretentious characters in this novel. I want to go ahead and voice that upfront because even though this novel is set in modern day, this story just goes to show how prevalent racism still is, especially in the minds of some of the southern elites. Miss Pearl’s character is charming and genuine and I loved her interactions with the girls. She helps them get to bed on nights they have been “over served” and is a shoulder to cry on when they are down and out. Because of Miss Pearl and her interactions with others in this novel, I had The Help vibes and I loved being back in that southern setting.

Cali is another character that I want to focus on because she was a young girl coming from a not so well-off family into a world of glam and glitz and southern royalty. Cali’s characters continually tries to find her way and fit in in a world where she definitely does not belong. She is smart, works hard, and loves her grandparents, but she is not used to the opulence and wealth that other characters around her are accustomed to. I loved watching her progress and interact with others. It was important to her to stay true to herself.

The southern setting, the dialects used, and the interactions among characters are completely realistic and true to reality. Lisa Patton’s writing is smooth, easy to follow, and engaging. It feels like you have sat down to listen to a friend telling you a story. The story progresses quickly and the chapters are short, which is always a plus for me. There were parts where I thought things could have been cut out and I did feel that the novel could have been shorter than the 416 pages, but I enjoyed following each of these women and seeing what they learned and how they each overcame their struggles and found their true selves.

“Well, take your junkie butt and get on outta here, then.”

The smell of catfish frying wafts from the kitchen into the dining room, setting my taste buds on fire.

Let me start by getting something out of the way. I am one of those women who compares herself to others. Yes, I’m well aware of what healthy people think about that, and I agree, it’s exhausting.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review***

Video Review: Tiffany Blues

2018-08-14T18:45:00.002-04:00

Book Review: A Double Life

2018-08-12T11:36:00.000-04:00

Author: Flynn Berry

Publication Date: July 31, 2018

Publisher: Viking

“A thrilling page-turner.” —Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

“Breathtaking . . . As shocking as it is satisfying.” —The New York Times Book Review

A gripping, intense, stunningly written novel of psychological suspense from the award-winning author of Under the Harrow

Claire is a hardworking doctor leading a simple, quiet life in London. She is also the daughter of the most notorious murder suspect in the country, though no one knows it.

Nearly thirty years ago, while Claire and her brother slept upstairs, a brutal crime was committed in her family's townhouse. The next morning, her father's car was found abandoned near the English Channel, with bloodstains on the front seat. Her mother insisted she'd seen him in the house that night, but his powerful, privileged friends maintained his innocence. The first lord accused of murder in more than a century, he has been missing ever since.

When the police tell Claire they've found him, her carefully calibrated existence begins to fracture. She doesn't know if she's the daughter of a murderer or a wronged man, but Claire will soon learn how far she'll go to finally find the truth.

Loosely inspired by one of the most notorious unsolved crimes of the 20th century – the Lord Lucan case – A Double Life is at once a riveting page-turner and a moving reflection on women and violence, trauma and memory, and class and privilege.

The first thing that gripped me about Berry’s new novel was the fact that this story is based on a true crime. This story is loosely based on the Lord Lucan case of the 20^thcentury, which I turn had to research. Berry’s writing is very suspenseful and will keep you turning pages, which is one of the most important factors for me in reading thrillers. Another important part of Berry’s writing that I very much enjoyed were the flashbacks from present day that helped fill in the plot and background. I love a good background story – Berry truly helped set the stage, fill you with suspense, and develop her characters this way. I loved Claire and finding out, slowly and quite mysteriously about her dad - best part of the story!

A man comes around the bend in the path. I stop short when he appears. The heath has been quiet today, under dark snow clouds, and we’re alone on a path where the oak trees form a tunnel.

It starts to snow. Only lightly, but enough to being to turn the fields and paths white. I keep walking as snow drifts over the trees, any my face feels tight and clean in the cold. I start to think about what I will say to him.

Or, they said Mum wasn’t confused, she was lying, and had staged the attack to frame my father. They were about to begin divorce proceedings, she might have lost the house, custody, access to his money. “She wasn’t stable,” said James, in an interview with the Telegraph. “You have to understand that. None of us ever knew why he was with her.”

I love how Flynn Berry builds a character with so much soul- in this case Claire, whose father killed her Nanny, attempted to kill her Mother then disappeared seemingly into thin air. I loved Berry’s choice to write this novel from the perspective of the suspect’s daughter, Claire. Most of us want to know more about the suspect in a crime, but we don’t often stop to think about the family of the suspect and what they must feel during a time like that – this novel was suspenseful, thrilling, and threw in a few twists that I did not see coming!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Viking Books in exchange for my honest review***

Video Review: The Last Time I Lied

2018-08-06T15:33:00.002-04:00

Debut Review: Mary B

2018-08-05T10:31:00.000-04:00

Author: Katherine J. Chen

Publication Date: July 24, 2018

Publisher: Random House

The overlooked middle sister in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice casts off her prim exterior and takes center stage in this fresh retelling of the classic novel.

What is to be done with Mary Bennet? She possesses neither the beauty of her eldest sister, Jane, nor the high-spirited wit of second-born Lizzy. Even compared to her frivolous younger siblings, Kitty and Lydia, Mary knows she is lacking in the ways that matter for single, not-so-well-to-do women in nineteenth-century England who must secure their futures through the finding of a husband. As her sisters wed, one by one, Mary pictures herself growing old, a spinster with no estate to run or children to mind, dependent on the charity of others. At least she has the silent rebellion and secret pleasures of reading and writing to keep her company.

But even her fictional creations are no match for the scandal, tragedy, and romance that eventually visit Mary’s own life. In Mary B, readers are transported beyond the center of the ballroom to discover that wallflowers are sometimes the most intriguing guests at the party. Beneath Mary’s plain appearance and bookish demeanor simmers an inner life brimming with passion, humor, and imagination—and a voice that demands to be heard.

Set before, during, and after the events of Pride and Prejudice, Katherine J. Chen’s vividly original debut novel pays homage to a beloved classic while envisioning a life that is difficult to achieve in any era: that of a truly independent woman.

Mary Bennett is often the forgotten sister because she has no charming characteristics like Lizzy or Jane that stand out. Jane Austen paints Mary as plain, boring, dull, with her nose constantly in a book. Katherine Chen wanted a chance to put her spin on Mary’s character, and I must say I quite enjoyed this version of Mary, maybe even better than Austen’s (shhhhh!). By the time this novel ends, Mary has found a sense of self-confidence and her place in the world. I love that Chen’s approach to Mary was one of self-discovery. We do see some of the other beloved characters reappear (Lizzy, Darcy, Jane, Mary’s parents). Some I liked as characters in this novel and others I was not a fan of, but I had to remind myself often that this book is supposed to be through Mary’s eyes, so that could change a character’s appearance.

A child does not grow up with the knowledge that she is plain or dull or a complete simpleton until the accident of some event should reveals these unfortunate truths.

Those who have tended to children or remember being young themselves will know the far range of a child’s imagination.

Because I am plain, others have always assumed in me a disinterest to the opposite sex, to romance, and accordingly, to marriage.

I have loved not once or twice but three times, which is three times more than anyone would believe of me.

Chen’s Mary is a fascinating creature. She is more outspoken than I imagined and she is smarter than anyone she meets in this novel. She is strong and will definitely be one of those female characters that you root for. I loved that Mary did not necessarily get what we see as a “happy ending” but that she was a character who found fulfillment in other places.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Random House in exchange for my honest review***

Back On Booktube!

2018-08-03T15:12:00.000-04:00

I have rejoined YouTube! Please check out my channel and listen to me talk about the releases coming out next week that I am excited for!

Book Review: The Dying Of The Light

2018-07-31T20:28:00.000-04:00

Author: Robert Goolrick

Publication Date: July 3, 2018

Publisher: Harper

From the author of the bestselling A Reliable Wife comes a dramatic, passionate tale of a glamorous Southern debutante who marries for money and ultimately suffers for love—a southern gothic as written by Dominick Dunne.

It begins with a house and ends in ashes . . .

Diana Cooke was "born with the century" and came of age just after World War I. The daughter of Virginia gentry, she knew early that her parents had only one asset, besides her famous beauty: their stately house, Saratoga, the largest in the commonwealth, which has hosted the crème of society and Hollywood royalty. Though they are land-rich, the Cookes do not have the means to sustain the estate. Without a wealthy husband, Diana will lose the mansion that has been the heart and soul of her family for five generations.

The mysterious Captain Copperton is an outsider with no bloodline but plenty of cash. Seeing the ravishing nineteen-year-old Diana for the first time, he’s determined to have her. Diana knows that marrying him would make the Cookes solvent and ensure that Saratoga will always be theirs. Yet Copperton is cruel as well as vulgar; while she admires his money, she cannot abide him. Carrying the weight of Saratoga and generations of Cookes on her shoulders, she ultimately succumbs to duty, sacrificing everything, including love.

Luckily for Diana, fate intervenes. Her union with Copperton is brief and gives her a son she adores. But when her handsome, charming Ashton, now grown, returns to Saratoga with his college roommate, the real scandal and tragedy begins.

Reveling in the secrets, mores, and society of twentieth-century genteel Southern life, The Dying of the Light is a romance, a melodrama, and a cautionary tale told with the grandeur and sweep of an epic Hollywood classic.

This novel reads just like a Southern Gothic novel. As a fan of Flannery O’Connor, I am all for Robert Goolrick’s writing style. This was the first novel of his I have read, but it will not be the last. These characters and the Southern manor backdrop transported me to another world and made me want to watch Gone With The Wind a million times on repeat. The characters come with their own secrets and mysteries, and this is what makes them exceptional. I am a stickler for a good southern belle, being one myself, and Goolrick delivers in this aspect big-time. Goolrick’s writing is as beautiful and passionate as a sweeping, Southern mansion and this novel has definitely inspired me to go and check out his other works.

It begins with a house and it ends in ashes.

The memory of the Civil War still hung over them all like a shroud, as present as yesterday, and the Great War stabbed at the heart of the great families as sure as a bayonet.

It seemed the walls of her house, Saratoga, were lined with portraits of heroes of the life’s blood of America itself, and now only she was left, the last Cooke, her sex a disappointment to everybody.

Girls in her situation were marrying dukes and earls and even princes because the royals lived in these big piles they couldn’t afford to heat. But these were rich girls, the awkward daughters of the new robber barons. She was poor. They had lived by their wiles and an aristocratic condescension even the rich girls couldn’t muster.

This story is rich in plot, characterization, and beautifully written prose. The manor, Saratoga, feels like a character in itself and will reel you in with its detail, secrets, love, and loss. I love books that inspire me to go looking for more – more from the author, the era, and the genre. This was a truly great read!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Harper in exchange for my honest review***

Debut Review: Baby Teeth

2018-07-30T14:47:00.000-04:00

Author: Zoje Stage

Publication Date: July 17, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

A battle of wills between mother and daughter reveals the frailty and falsehood of familial bonds in award-winning playwright and filmmaker Zoje Stage’s tense novel of psychological suspense, Baby Teeth.

Afflicted with a chronic debilitating condition, Suzette Jensen knew having children would wreak havoc on her already fragile body. Nevertheless, she brought Hanna into the world, pleased and proud to start a family with her husband Alex. Estranged from her own mother, Suzette is determined to raise her beautiful daughter with the love, care, and support she was denied.

But Hanna proves to be a difficult child. Now seven-years-old, she has yet to utter a word, despite being able to read and write. Defiant and anti-social, she refuses to behave in kindergarten classes, forcing Suzette to homeschool her. Resentful of her mother’s rules and attentions, Hanna lashes out in anger, becoming more aggressive every day. The only time Hanna is truly happy is when she’s with her father. To Alex, she’s willful and precocious but otherwise the perfect little girl, doing what she’s told.

Suzette knows her clever and manipulative daughter doesn’t love her. She can see the hatred and jealousy in her eyes. And as Hanna’s subtle acts of cruelty threaten to tear her and Alex apart, Suzette fears her very life may be in grave danger…

This is one of the creepiest books I have read in a long time. The story follows Suzette, who loves her daughter but is dealing with a lot of health problems herself and her daughter’s tricks are becoming more and more sophisticated. Hanna is a sweet, innocent child in the eyes of her father, but he doesn’t realize just how much Hanna wants her mother out of the picture so she can be raised by him alone. Hanna, right from the start, tries to plot against her mother – she plans to fatally harm her. This was difficult to read and Hanna was a hard character to read about because no part of me wanted to imagine or believe that a small child can be this devilish. I wasn’t a huge fan of Suzette either. She came off as selfish and self-centered, but then would feel bad about Hanna’s character or unhappiness. She was a confusing and hard character to follow.

Baby Teethis going to be one of the most talked about books of the year. I feel like its sole purpose was to terrify and shock the reader – and it did just that! Sometimes I felt like I was reading a Stephen King novel – Stage was brave and bold with her writing – she did things that were uncharacteristic of a debut author. I was intrigued by her writing and the thought processes she must have had while writing this book. I cringed at times, I was frustrated at times, but ultimately, I was creeped out. I loved that I got to see Hanna's perspective as well as Suzette's. If Stage set out to write the eeriest book of the year, she did just that!

“It was hard to pour endless love into someone who wouldn't love you back. No one could do it forever.”

“Now that she knew the name of the game - Scare Mommy - she should be able to defend herself. But goosebumps rose on her skin, even under the heat of the water, when she thought about her creepy daughter. The whites of her eyes. Her ability to sneak up on her as she slept.”

“We had an accident--'

Suzette cut Alex off. 'Hanna's trying to kill me.”

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: My Year of Rest and Relaxation

2018-07-27T09:45:00.001-04:00

Author: Ottessa Moshfegh

Publication Date: July 10, 2018

Publisher: Penguin Press

From one of our boldest, most celebrated new literary voices, a novel about a young woman's efforts to duck the ills of the world by embarking on an extended hibernation with the help of one of the worst psychiatrists in the annals of literature and the battery of medicines she prescribes.

Our narrator should be happy, shouldn't she? She's young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, works an easy job at a hip art gallery, lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like the rest of her needs, by her inheritance. But there is a dark and vacuous hole in her heart, and it isn't just the loss of her parents, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her best friend, Reva. It's the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong?

My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a powerful answer to that question. Through the story of a year spent under the influence of a truly mad combination of drugs designed to heal our heroine from her alienation from this world, Moshfegh shows us how reasonable, even necessary, alienation can be. Both tender and blackly funny, merciless and compassionate, it is a showcase for the gifts of one of our major writers working at the height of her powers.

Moshfegh’s latest novel follows our unnamed narrator who is a twenty-something New Yorker who has decided that she wants to escape the next year of her life by taking enough pharmaceutical drugs to put her to sleep for that long. She lost her parents at a young age and speaks about a childhood that was often less than idyllic. She feels alone, unsatisfied, and is left a rather large inheritance that is more than enough to get her through a year of sleep.

The narrator is witty, unique, somewhat weird, and far different from anything I have read this year. At times, I didn’t know whether I should like her or dislike her, and I think this is part of what helped the book hold its charm.

Mosshfegh’s writing is humorous at times, clever, and astonishing. I did not anticipate this novel making me ponder my own life and my own thoughts as much as it did. At first, I thought that the entire premise seemed strange, but then I felt that I caught on to what Mosshfegh wanted readers to reflect upon as they read. I never thought this book would give me pause and cause me to feel so many emotions through a nameless narrator. I did not understand her actions or many of her thoughts, but I think that is what makes this book so astonishing.

I had started “hibernating” as best I could in mid-June of 2000. I was twenty-four years old. I watched summer die and autumn turn cold and gray through a broken slat in the blinds. My muscles withered. The sheets on my bed yellowed, although I usually fell asleep in front of the television on the sofa, which was from Pottery Barn and striped blue and white and sagging and covered in coffee and sweat stains.

I can’t point to any one event that resulted in my decision to go into hibernation. Initially, I just wanted some downers to drown out my thoughts and judgments, since the constant barrage made it hard not to hate everyone and everything. I thought life would be more tolerable if my brain were slower to condemn the world around me.

I was plagued with misery, anxiety, a wish to escape the prison my mind and body.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Penguin Press in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: Eat Cake. Be Brave.

2018-07-25T19:22:00.000-04:00

Author: Melissa Radke

Publication Date: July 17, 2018

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

My name is Melissa Radke, and there is a very real chance you have no idea who I am or why I wrote a book. But admit it, you're curious!

Even though millions of people seem to like watching my videos bemoaning the trials of parenting, marriage, French braiding, faith, and living life as an anti-aging female, you may still be wondering who let me write a book.

I mean, books are written by people who have been interviewed by Gayle King and say things like, "You see, Gayle, I was having a root canal and I literally died in the chair. I saw heaven. Also, when I came back to earth I could speak Mandarin."

Yeah, that didn't happen to me. No Mandarin. Though I have been known to break out in song! (My voice was once described as a "ray of light in a dark world" . . . but I think my dad was being a little dramatic.) Although if Gayle King were to ever ask me I would tell her: "I wrote this book between taking my kids to the local pool and picking out flip-flops at Old Navy, and the only metaphysical moment I experienced came right after I looked directly into one of those mirrors with 10x magnification."

I wrote this book because when I turned 41 I made a decision to be brave. To live brave -bolder and freer. You see, I thought our lives were supposed to change when we turned 40...but mine didn't. Yet every piece of it changed when I turned 41; when I set out to prove that it wasn't too late for me, that careless words wouldn't stunt me and rejection would not stop me. And maybe, just maybe, it will take you reading about the journey I took to finding my sense of self-worth in order for you to rightfully believe in yours. This book is about how all the years of my life led up to the one that changed it. So, cut a big slice and raise a fork...

Here's to bravery.

Here's to courage.

Here's to cake.

(And not the crappy kind, like carrot.)

In her opening pages, Melissa Radke tells readers that they have probably never heard of her before but that by the time they read her story, they will love her. How right she was! I feel like Melissa Radke is my new best friend. She is funny, relative, encouraging, and completely loveable! I could not believe how I found myself nodding, crying, laughing, and saying, “Yes, honey!” as I read her story. Radke talks about the life experiences that led up to her decision to be brave and live her life relentlessly. She uses her wonderful sense of humor to connect to her readers, and it really did the trick. This book is a must read this summer!

I wrote this book for two people, and two people only. You and me.

Do away with the HAPPY 40^TH! party paraphernalia. Throw out all the black napkins and toss the FABULOUS AT 40 banner. Contact the party stores and the event planners. Believe me when I tell you, forty is not the issue. Don’t bother throwing anyone a happy fortieth. They’ll be fine. It’s forty-one you need to focus on.

Who I was may in fact no longer be who I am.

2018 has been a very eventful year for my reading. I have really started to get into non-fiction, particularly memoirs. When memoirs are this real and emotionally gripping, I vow to read hundreds and hundreds more. This would be a great start for someone who is just starting to get into non-fiction. Radke takes readers through every emotion in a short 293 pages. I look forward to more from Melissa Radke!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Grand Central Publishing in exchange for my honest review***

Book Review: The Summer Wives

2018-07-23T10:03:00.000-04:00

Author: Beatriz Williams

Publication Date: July 10, 2018

Publisher: William Morrow

New York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams brings us the blockbuster novel of the season—an electrifying postwar fable of love, class, power, and redemption set among the inhabitants of an island off the New England coast . . .

In the summer of 1951, Miranda Schuyler arrives on elite, secretive Winthrop Island as a schoolgirl from the margins of high society, still reeling from the loss of her father in the Second World War. When her beautiful mother marries Hugh Fisher, whose summer house on Winthrop overlooks the famous lighthouse, Miranda’s catapulted into a heady new world of pedigrees and cocktails, status and swimming pools. Isobel Fisher, Miranda’s new stepsister—all long legs and world-weary bravado, engaged to a wealthy Island scion—is eager to draw Miranda into the arcane customs of Winthrop society.

But beneath the island’s patrician surface, there are really two clans: the summer families with their steadfast ways and quiet obsessions, and the working class of Portuguese fishermen and domestic workers who earn their living on the water and in the laundries of the summer houses. Uneasy among Isobel’s privileged friends, Miranda finds herself drawn to Joseph Vargas, whose father keeps the lighthouse with his mysterious wife. In summer, Joseph helps his father in the lobster boats, but in the autumn he returns to Brown University, where he’s determined to make something of himself. Since childhood, Joseph’s enjoyed an intense, complex friendship with Isobel Fisher, and as the summer winds to its end, Miranda’s caught in a catastrophe that will shatter Winthrop’s hard-won tranquility and banish Miranda from the island for nearly two decades.

Now, in the landmark summer of 1969, Miranda returns at last, as a renowned Shakespearean actress hiding a terrible heartbreak. On its surface, the Island remains the same—determined to keep the outside world from its shores, fiercely loyal to those who belong. But the formerly powerful Fisher family is a shadow of itself, and Joseph Vargas has recently escaped the prison where he was incarcerated for the murder of Miranda’s stepfather eighteen years earlier. What’s more, Miranda herself is no longer a naïve teenager, and she begins a fierce, inexorable quest for justice for the man she once loved . . . even if it means uncovering every last one of the secrets that bind together the families of Winthrop Island.

Beatriz Williams continues to be one of my favorite authors. Her newest story, The Summer Wives, follows Miranda, in alternating timelines, as she tells us the story of Winthrop Island and the Families versus the Islanders. Miranda, as a young girl, fell in love with a Portuguese lobsterman, which of course was frowned upon by her rich, affluent parents. You find out early on that there was a murder on the island and Miranda’s lover, Joseph was involved. I won’t go any further than this, but know that this is not a murder mystery.

I felt that this book was a very powerful character study of Miranda Schuyler and how her life evolved and changed during one summer. We do get to meet and know other characters, but Miranda is the shining light in the story. Part of the story is her coming-of-age story and the other part is her realizing the mistakes she made in her life and what really mattered after all. I loved the look into Miranda’s life as a young girl on the island. She was carefree, naïve, and totally impressionable. I loved watching her experience the island and learn what love meant to her. She was an amazing character to follow.

Beatriz Williams is a born writer. She can transport readers to beautiful worlds, usually years and years before our own. Her writing is rich and full of intense passion between characters. I felt as if I was walking around Winthrop Island alongside Miranda and I found myself really enjoying her descriptions of the island and the lives of all who inhabited it during the summer. When you read Williams’ writing, you can immediately tell that she does her research regarding life in the 20’s, 30’s, 50’s, or whatever era she is writing in. Her prose is powerful and will completely transport you to the world of the characters you are reading about.

“There's something about the smells of your childhood, isn't there? ... You still remember those small sublime joys with an ache of longing because there's no getting it back, is there? You cannot return to a state of innocence.”

“They love a little excitement at the Winthrop Island Club, and don’t let them tell you any differently.”

“Most mornings, there were roses of various colors, white and pinks and yellows and occasionally even red. I remember they were not always fragrant – each variety of rose has its own personality, you know, and some are bred for looks alone – but occasionally, like the day of the moon landing, the twentieth of July, their perfume so saturated the air, sultry and delicate all at once, I thought I was drunk. I buried my face in the middle of the bouquet, disregarding the possibility of thorns, and – as I did every morning – I looked around for some sign of my clandestine scent left hanging in the air, or the movement of some swift body in the boxwoods.”

Although this is not my favorite Beatriz Williams novel, you can never go wrong with her stories. She is a very talented writer and I will never stop reading her stories. They are perfect for summer – light, but deep enough to keep you invested and draw you in from start to finish. I cannot recommend Beatriz’s stories enough – she truly has a way with words!

***A free copy of this book was provided by the publishers at William Morrow in exchange for my honest review***

Debut Review: Suicide Club

2018-07-18T19:58:00.000-04:00

Author: Rachel Heng

Publication Date: July 10, 2018

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

In Rachel Heng's debut set in near future New York City―where lives last three hundred years and the pursuit of immortality is all-consuming―Lea must choose between her estranged father and her chance to live forever.

Lea Kirino is a “Lifer,” which means that a roll of the genetic dice has given her the potential to live forever―if she does everything right. And Lea is an overachiever. She’s a successful trader on the New York exchange―where instead of stocks, human organs are now bought and sold―she has a beautiful apartment, and a fiancé who rivals her in genetic perfection. And with the right balance of HealthTech™, rigorous juicing, and low-impact exercise, she might never die.

But Lea’s perfect life is turned upside down when she spots her estranged father on a crowded sidewalk. His return marks the beginning of her downfall as she is drawn into his mysterious world of the Suicide Club, a network of powerful individuals and rebels who reject society’s pursuit of immortality, and instead choose to live―and die―on their own terms. In this future world, death is not only taboo; it’s also highly illegal. Soon Lea is forced to choose between a sanitized immortal existence and a short, bittersweet time with a man she has never really known, but who is the only family she has left in the world.

Rachel Heng’s debut is a chilling near-future dystopian story where population decline has led to strict Sanctity of Life laws and systems to extend life ever longer. What makes this story so utterly unsettling is that it is in fact believable in a future era. This book left me feeling as if something was missing or lacking. The premise is wonderful and Heng’s writing is beautifully lyrical, but I did not feel as invested in the characters as I would have liked to.

Lea and Anja are the two main characters we follow. Lea being the main protagonist, but it was the story of Anja and Lea’s father, who sparked feelings in Lea and made her reflect over her life, that I was more interested by. Anja’s backstory gives her character more spunk and her actions felt more realistic, whereas I spent so much time trying to understand Lea because I felt that she was underdeveloped.

Heng’s writing was phenomenal. She can write a dystopian world like nobody’s business. Dystopian storytelling is not anywhere near my favorite thing to read – but, boy, was I captivated by her words and descriptions. I found myself reading, rereading, and re-rereading Heng’s prose – her thought process must be astronomical, as I know her imagination is. I will read whatever she puts out next because her writing is that picturesque.

"Something has to change. In being robbed of our deaths, we are robbed of our lives."

"Someone once said that death was the best invention life had to offer."

“Before they turned milky and white, her mother’s eyes had been the color of the sea. A clear, cold gray, the color of ice on a freshly frozen lake. When Anja looked in the mirror now, all she could see was her mother’s eyes staring back at her. Her mother’s eyes, her mother’s sharp nose, her mother’s pale salmon mouth.”

“Everyone was born with a number. They ran the tests immediately after birth. A simple swab of a wailing throat, parents waiting, hands clasped nervously, for the moment that would define the rest of their child’s life. Sometimes the results came out as a mother held the baby in her arms for the first time, staring into its liquid, barely human eyes.”

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Henry Holt and Co. in exchange for my honest review***

Release Day Review: Give Me Your Hand

2018-07-17T20:35:00.000-04:00

Author: Megan Abbott

Publication Date: July 17, 2018

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

A life-changing secret destroys an unlikely friendship in this "magnetic" (Meg Wolitzer) psychological thriller from the Edgar Award-winning author of Dare Me.

Kit Owens harbored only modest ambitions for herself when the mysterious Diane Fleming appeared in her high school chemistry class. But Diane's academic brilliance lit a fire in Kit, and the two developed an unlikely friendship. Until Diane shared a secret that changed everything between them.

More than a decade later, Kit thinks she's put Diane behind her forever and she's begun to fulfill the scientific dreams Diane awakened in her. But the past comes roaring back when she discovers that Diane is her competition for a position both women covet, taking part in groundbreaking new research led by their idol. Soon enough, the two former friends find themselves locked in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse that threatens to destroy them both.

Named one of the Most Anticipated Books of 2018 by Cosmopolitan, Book Riot, and Entertainment Weekly

Give Me Your Handfollows a friendship between Kit and Diane, who have a lot in common, from being runners to pursuing their love of science. Then, the beautiful and mysterious Dr. Severin comes to their school to talk about her lab work and what it means to perform studies and to do research, and this is all the girls need to dedicate themselves to their goals and pursue their scientific studies. Then, Diane shares a dark secret with Kit, one that Kit can't get out of her mind - one that's eating her alive, but eventually Kit gets past it and they both graduate and move on with their separate lives.

These two women, through Abbott’s writing, present a story that delves into some deep issues that women face today: career ambitions, workplace hardships, and the power, destruction, and jealously that can be female friendships.

The ever-elusive secret that Diane dropped on Kit is the focal point that starts this story. Abbott writes a slow burn thriller that is filled with deep and complex characters. I am a character driven reader and I love a good secret. Once the secret is revealed, readers will be glad they stuck around – all bets are off at this point and the action continues into an impending explosion. What I love best about this novel by Abbott is the way she gets into the warped mind of teenage girls as the girls become friends and bond over similarities and common interests – readers travel and grow with Kit and Diane, secrets, friendships, thrills and all!

“It's that powerful, this thing we share. A murky history, its narrative near impenetrable. We keep telling it to ourselves, noting its twists and turns, trying to make sense of it. And hiding it from everyone else.”

“Now that I'm caught up in it, I feel a whiff of panic. This is Diane. And just as before, we are thrown together, and just as before, we want the same thing. A prize, dangling.”

“By telling me, you trapped me," I say through my teeth. "By telling you," she whispers, rain still glistening on her, "I was free.”

“She had done this thing to me, burdened me with this vile, howling thing. And now it shuddered in me always and I'd felt I might have to live with it forever. I was right.”

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Little, Brown and Company in exchange for my honest review***

Debut Review: All These Beautiful Strangers

2018-07-16T16:21:00.000-04:00

Author: Elizabeth Klehfoth

Publication Date: July 10, 2018

Publisher: William Morrow

A young woman haunted by a family tragedy is caught up in a dangerous web of lies and deception involving a secret society in this highly charged, addictive psychological thriller that combines the dishy gamesmanship of Gossip Girl with the murky atmosphere of The Secret History.

One summer day, Grace Fairchild, the beautiful young wife of real estate mogul Alistair Calloway, vanished from the family’s lake house without a trace, leaving behind her seven-year old daughter, Charlie, and a slew of unanswered questions.

Years later, seventeen-year-old Charlie still struggles with the dark legacy of her family name and the mystery surrounding her mother. Determined to finally let go of the past, she throws herself into life at Knollwood, the prestigious New England school she attends. Charlie quickly becomes friends with Knollwood’s "it" crowd.

Charlie has also been tapped by the A’s—the school’s elite secret society well known for terrorizing the faculty, administration, and their enemies. To become a member of the A’s, Charlie must play The Game, a semester-long, diabolical high-stakes scavenger hunt that will jeopardize her friendships, her reputation, even her place at Knollwood.

As the dark events of past and present converge, Charlie begins to fear that she may not survive the terrible truth about her family, her school, and her own life.

This thrilling mystery and coming-of-age story moves back and forth in time, straddling between 2007 and 2017. The majority of the story follows Charlotte “Charlie” Calloway as she strives to solve her mother’s sudden disappearance ten years earlier. Charlie’s life is in full swing as she is a junior at a prestigious school known as Knollwood Prep. She is soon invited to join an illicit, secret society known as the A’s. She is a spoiled, rich, entitled teenager who has a jaded view of the world. She was perfect to guide me through this debut novel.

Boarding school. Secret society. Ten-year unsolved mystery. You really cannot go wrong with this mix. The mystery is introduced quickly and will keep readers hooked until the big unveiling. I thought I had a few things figured out, but Klehfoth truly is a talent in writing mystery. Klehfoth writes unlikeable characters and gives them an air of mystery that readers will find thrilling and hard to part with. There is suspense, action, and such intensity beyond your wildest imagination. This book is meant to hook readers from page one.

We held each other’s secrets. It was a bond that could make us, just as surely as it was a bond that could destroy us all.

But now, all that connected us was the ghost of my mother. Strangely, that was all that separated us, too.

Together, we took a breath, and together, we extinguished the flames.

Do you know those books where you just read the first couple of pages and you know that you will hate to eventually part with it? That was this book for me. There is something in this debut novel for everyone to read and love. There is suspense, spoiled, rich, and posh characters, a mystery that I thought was so well-written, a prestigious, alluring setting of a boarding school and a secret society that seems very Pretty Little Liarsmeets Gossip Girl.This one is perfect for a warm summer day. I am so excited to see more from Elizabeth Klehfoth!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at William Morrow in exchange for my honest review***